Most of mid-Michigan’s corn crop reached knee high and beyond by the Fourth of July.

“Growth has been rapid with the warm temperatures,” said Michigan State University Extension’s Paul Gross,” and the color has greatly improved as the crop has been able to root deep enough to pick up starter fertilizer as well as applied nitrogen.”

The growth comes despite a rough start to the season. Heavy rains delayed planting, and in some fields, plants drowned even as they barely emerged.

And in some areas, corn was planted extremely late in fields that took weeks to dry out.

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But the season appears to have settled down. According to the National Agriculture Statistic Service, total rainfall in central Michigan now is close to normal for the growing season.

A typical year will see 9.22 inches of rain April 1 and June 30; the average across the region was 9.91 inches. Some areas, however, saw much heavier rain than that.

Cool temperatures also have had an effect on corn growth. Corn needs warm weather, and the cumulative warmth – measured by heating degree days – remains well behind a normal year.

That heavy rain still is having an effect on the winter wheat crop. Some of the crop in southern Gratiot County is described as “a wreck” due to fungal growth.

Some wheat also is down, Gross said. That happens when wheat stalks grow quickly but become spindly – and high winds and rain can knock them down.

Gross said oats and barley aren’t showing any problems.

Commodity experts say the soybean crop is showing good growth, even if some fields had to be replanted more than once. Dry beans, some of which weren’t planted until mid-June, are growing rapidly.

Mid-Michigan’s hay crop also was affected by the spring rain, with soggy conditions making cutting and baling the first cut a challenge. The regrowth of alfalfa appears to be good, agricultural experts said.

Weather through the first part of next week should be dominated by a slow-moving cold front that’s expected to sag south through Lower Michigan, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Grand Rapids. That’s the office that issues forecasts, advisories and warnings for most of central and western Michigan, including Clare, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta and Montcalm counties.

That cold front is expected to set off occasional showers through the middle of the week. Temperatures are expected to be near normal for early July, in the low 80s each day.

Mark Ranzenberger is online editor of TheMorningSun.com. Follow him on Twitter @ranzenberger.